# My New Newair 281E Wineador...



## OratorORourke

I finally received my Newair 281E wineador yesterday. Well, I finally received one that didn't look like a crowbar was taken to it out of anger. I received my first order damaged last week from Overstock. Of course they didn't have anymore in stock, so I had to negotiate for a full refund instead of waiting for them to restock, then I placed a new order with Air & Water.

So it is here and I was like a child on Christmas morning when it arrived. After I placed in my office, I was actually surprised that the plastic smell wasn't as strong as I had heard about. I wasn't going to let the faint smell fool me, so I wiped down the interior and proceeded to load up the wineador with strategically placed containers of baking soda. I plug it in and let it run overnight. This morning I open up the door and that plastic smell that I heard so much about is there in FULL FORCE now. Right now, I have the door open with it turned on and a big fan on the outside blowing air into it. I will do another pass today with some warm water and baking soda, then pack the baking soda containers back in and let it run over night again...see how it is tomorrow.

I actually have a few bags of cedar shavings that I was thinking of throwing in there. I was planning on saving those for when I felt the baking soda was finished doing its job, but now I am tempted to just throw all three bags in there now. I guess I am concerned that the baking soda will absorb the cedar smell instead of the plastic smell. Not sure if I am just being ridiculous.

My shelves from Forrest should be here soon and I really want that smell out before they arrive. I don't want to waste any days once the shelves are here.

Anyway...here is the new unit:


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## BlazinBajan

Looking good Chris, I wiped mine down with distilled vinegar and then stuffed it with newspaper and let it run for a coulple days and the smell was all gone. Just thought that might help you out a bit. My drawers from Forrest took roughly 12 weeks. Can wait to see it filled up, enjoy it Brother.


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## OratorORourke

BlazinBajan said:


> Looking good Chris, I wiped mine down with distilled vinegar and then stuffed it with newspaper and let it run for a coulple days and the smell was all gone. Just thought that might help you out a bit. My drawers from Forrest took roughly 12 weeks. Can wait to see it filled up, enjoy it Brother.


Thanks for the help Sheldon! Did you let it run while the newspaper was inside of it? How much newspaper did you use?

I ordered my drawers almost a couple of weeks ago. I paid Forrest to rush the manufacturing of them as I am on complete overstock. I have 3 full desktop humidors and several Tupperware containers with Boveda packs in them scattered around my house :dizzy:.

About an hour ago, I did a peroxide + baking soda spray and then a damp sponge with warm water wipe-down. I have the baking soda back in right now, with the door open and my giant Lasko tower fan aimed at it on full blast!


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## OratorORourke

Day 2 photo:









I gave it a second wash today (this time with a mixture of peroxide & baking soda) and now I have it half-stuffed with newspaper and 4 containers of baking soda (while it is running). Door will remain shut until tomorrow morning. We will see what tomorrow morning brings...


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## Isonj

I pretty much did the same. I did add some old cigar boxes a sprayed them with dw. I ran it a day and the smell was gone. I ordered my drawers 2 and paid the xtra, I will post pics once I have them installed.


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## AndyJCL

I got mine about a month ago and I can't smell that well so the odor wasn't too bad. I left it open for 3-4 days to air out any plastic odor. I received my drawers and shelves from Forrest last week and I'm already running out of space.


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## BlazinBajan

OratorORourke said:


> Thanks for the help Sheldon! Did you let it run while the newspaper was inside of it? How much newspaper did you use?
> 
> I ordered my drawers almost a couple of weeks ago. I paid Forrest to rush the manufacturing of them as I am on complete overstock. I have 3 full desktop humidors and several Tupperware containers with Boveda packs in them scattered around my house :dizzy:.
> 
> About an hour ago, I did a peroxide + baking soda spray and then a damp sponge with warm water wipe-down. I have the baking soda back in right now, with the door open and my giant Lasko tower fan aimed at it on full blast!


I did let it run with the newspaper, it almost looks like how i did mine, the smell should be gone with in the next day as you took extra steps to speed the process. Isonj has a good idea with the sprayed down boxes that should also help to speed up the ridding the smell. You should be good to go late tonight , early Friday evening.


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## Gdaddy

I wouldn't run the unit with the door open. The cooling unit will be running constantly trying to get down to temperature and may damage it.


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## OratorORourke

Isonj said:


> I pretty much did the same. I did add some old cigar boxes a sprayed them with dw. I ran it a day and the smell was gone. I ordered my drawers 2 and paid the xtra, I will post pics once I have them installed.


Isonj - I am going to do that! I also have 3 small sachets of cedar shavings, which I purchased from Forrest ($2), that I am going to toss in there with the old cigar boxes. Thanks for that suggestion!



AndyJCL said:


> I got mine about a month ago and I can't smell that well so the odor wasn't too bad. I left it open for 3-4 days to air out any plastic odor. I received my drawers and shelves from Forrest last week and I'm already running out of space.


Andy, I feel like I am going to be in the same boat. I just hope it takes me a little longer than a week! If not, I have room for another 281E :banana:



BlazinBajan said:


> I did let it run with the newspaper, it almost looks like how i did mine, the smell should be gone with in the next day as you took extra steps to speed the process. Isonj has a good idea with the sprayed down boxes that should also help to speed up the ridding the smell. You should be good to go late tonight , early Friday evening.


This morning the smell was less, but still there. I did another spray down with my baking soda/peroxide mix and then wiped that off with warm water sponge. I put my baking soda containers back in and a small container of fresh coffee grounds (read a few tips on this). I plugged it back in and going to let it run for a while. I don't plan on leaving the grounds in for more than 12 hours. I want it to absorb odors, not add a scent. I will leave the baking soda in again over night with it running. Tomorrow morning, I am going to spray the interior with distilled water (wipe & repeat to get any remains of baking soda/peroxide), add my old cigar boxes and spray those with DW and I will also add my cedar sachets.



Gdaddy said:


> I wouldn't run the unit with the door open. The cooling unit will be running constantly trying to get down to temperature and may damage it.


I agree Don, thanks.


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## OratorORourke

About an hour ago, I plugged the drain hole with a glue gun as @Johnpaul suggested in @falconman515 Wineador thread. My first time using an arts and crafts glue gun, so I wasn't the neatest initially, but this stuff peels right off wherever you don't want it.

Pretty painless and cheap solution. I paid just over $7 for the gun and a ton of glue sticks, I will probably never use. I have to imagine that this is a much cleaner solution to silicone, if I ever have to remove it.


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## OratorORourke

Day 3...

Plastic smell is very faint and should be completely gone by end of day today. Last night I pulled the coffee grounds out at 11pm EST and turned off the unit. I left the door open until about 9am EST this morning. I took everything out and gave it a spray with distilled water, dried with a wash cloth and then did it again. I then sprayed some old cigar boxes with DW as @Isonj suggested, added 2 sachets of cedar shavings and whatever other loose cedar strips and blocks I could find lying around. I plugged it back in and letting it run undisturbed until later. I will open the door and spray the boxes down as needed.

Thanks for all the input guys.


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## RJ-Harder

Very cool. I like how it looks like the cigar boxes are just itching to get in there. With each picture there are more and more boxes in and around the wineador...like a bunch of impatient kids.


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## OratorORourke

RJ-Harder said:


> Very cool. I like how it looks like the cigar boxes are just itching to get in there. With each picture there are more and more boxes in and around the wineador...like a bunch of impatient kids.


Ha! I think I am the impatient kid in this scenario. Putting the wineador in my office was probably not my brightest move. I am constantly fighting myself from opening the door and tinkering with it in some way. I can't wait for the shelves to arrive, so at least I will be forced to keep it closed as I season them and get the RH right.


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## Isonj

Chris -
It is starting to take shape. I followed falconman515's thread as you did and everything worked out. I have put seasoned trays in mine with 1.5 lbs of beads along with 150 smokes(cause I was impatient too). So I have been enjoying my stiks for a couple of weeks now. I may season my drawers in a cooler, I have not decided yet. Let me know when you get yours, cause I think we ordered them around the same time.


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## OratorORourke

Jim,

I ordered 2lbs of beads and four 1/2lb bags from Heartfelt...they should be here next week. I have 2 new Xikar hygrometers already calibrated via the Boveda kits and ready to go. I am going to try really hard to wait for the shelves from Forrest before putting sticks in. I bought 12 new snaplock tupperware containers from WalMart to hold my overflow until I can make the switch (I had a handful of Boveda packs to use in them). 

I will definitely keep you posted on the arrival of the shelves. I ordered mine 5/9...when did you order yours?


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## Isonj

I ordered mine on the 11th....so, it should not be too long. I am sure he is busy getting them perfect! I think I will have to get a few more boxes to throw in there to get me through the summer. The good/bad thing is, I am smoking more since I can see my smokes. haha


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## OratorORourke

Isonj said:


> I ordered mine on the 11th....so, it should not be too long. I am sure he is busy getting them perfect! I think I will have to get a few more boxes to throw in there to get me through the summer. The good/bad thing is, I am smoking more since I can see my smokes. haha


We should be seasoning around the same time then. I have a feeling that the convenience of this wineador is going to have me smoking breakfast and lunch stogies much more often.


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## falconman515

Glad to see all is working out and my thread helped in your new wineador build.


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## RayJax

Been enjoying following your build progress.

Thanks for taking the time to keep us posted.


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## OratorORourke

falconman515 said:


> Glad to see all is working out and my thread helped in your new wineador build.


Thanks again Chris.



RayJax said:


> Been enjoying following your build progress.
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to keep us posted.


Thanks for following along Ray.
[HR][/HR]
Day 7 Update: The Wineador has basically been in the same state as it was in Friday afternoon. Filled with old cigar boxes, cedar sachets, cedar sheets and cedar blocks and sprayed periodically with DW. As of this morning, when you open the door all you get smacked in the face with is a strong cedar aroma. I am happy with that.

The only addition I made, was this afternoon. I added a Xikar 250 Crystal Humidifier that I had lying around. I figure it wont hurt to start getting some more humidity in there. I will NOT be keeping the Xikar in there once the shelves arrive.

I reached out to Forrest this morning (motivated by @Isonj ) and it turns out he shipped my shelves on Friday and provided me with a tracking number. As of right now it shows delivery for Saturday, but it hasn't really updated as of yet. So I am hoping that maybe they will be here on Friday.

I can't wait to start seasoning!


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## Isonj

Chris -
I am assuming you are going to wait til I get mine before you start, right? haha


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## elricfate

Did you pay for Rush on your Forrest shelves or did you opt to wait?


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## OratorORourke

Isonj said:


> Chris -
> I am assuming you are going to wait til I get mine before you start, right? haha


Of course Jim...HA!



elricfate said:


> Did you pay for Rush on your Forrest shelves or did you opt to wait?


Seth, I paid rush for mine. The wineador for me was out of necessity of an overflowing collection. Therefore, waiting 3 months for shelves would have put me in a serious bind. In my situation, it was worth the extra dollars to save 2 months of time and enjoy the wineador and my ever expanding collection much, much sooner.


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## elricfate

OratorORourke said:


> Seth, I paid rush for mine. The wineador for me was out of necessity of an overflowing collection. Therefore, waiting 3 months for shelves would have put me in a serious bind. In my situation, it was worth the extra dollars to save 2 months of time and enjoy the wineador and my ever expanding collection much, much sooner.


That's kind of my thought process too. Good to know that Rush actually means RUSH and not "I got backlogged, so Rush is a little slower now" -- worth the extra $65.


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## Isonj

Seth -
I am in the same boat. Looks like it is shipping in 12 days from when the order was placed. To me, it is worth the xtra cash to be up and running in 3 weeks in stead of 3 months.


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## OratorORourke

elricfate said:


> That's kind of my thought process too. Good to know that Rush actually means RUSH and not "I got backlogged, so Rush is a little slower now" -- worth the extra $65.


Seth, I emailed Forrest ahead of time, just to make sure he could handle the rush order. You may want to do the same.


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## OratorORourke

As of this afternoon, I have strategically placed 2lbs of 65% Rh Heartfelt beads, split into 4 nylon mesh bags, and two calibrated Xikar hygrometers into the Wineador. With my drawers due to arrive tomorrow (according to FedEx), I wanted to test the beads just to give me something to do. 

A few sprays on each side, of each bag, and the beads had the unit stable @ 65% Rh very quickly. 

Tomorrow my plan is to remove my 65% HF beads when I install the drawers. I have a Xikar 70% Rh 250 humidifier that I had in the wineador the last couple days and it had the unit well over 75% Rh (between 76-78). I also have a few 69% Boveda packs lying around. My plan is to take very small tupperware bowls of DW, place them in each drawer and then combine them with the Xikar and the Boveda packs as seasoning. Once the unit gets to 69%+ Rh for 12-24 hours (consistently), I will remove the DW, the Boveda packs and the Xikar and throw my beads in there. I will let them bring the Rh down to 65% for 12-24 hours and then slowly start adding some sticks. 

I am hoping this plan will allow me to speed up the seasoning process to 3 days max. Yes, I know the wood is going to be thirsty, but this box holds humidity like nothing I have ever seen when it comes to cigars. That one little Xikar humidifier had the entire unit, which was loaded with cigar boxes and random pieces of cedar and sachets, at a steady 76-78% in less than 24 hours. 

I have a good feeling about the seasoning process and can't wait to get started.

I will post some pics tomorrow...


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## tony

chris, i just got my drawers from forrest about 3 weeks ago. it took mine about 18 hours to reach 65% rh with 2 lbs of beads and has remained rock solid ever since.


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## OratorORourke

tony said:


> chris, i just got my drawers from forrest about 3 weeks ago. it took mine about 18 hours to reach 65% rh with 2 lbs of beads and has remained rock solid ever since.


Tony, that is great news and confirms that it shouldn't take weeks to season the drawers! Did you slowly add your cigars or did you throw them all in at once?


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## tony

OratorORourke said:


> Tony, that is great news and confirms that it shouldn't take weeks to season the drawers! Did you slowly add your cigars or did you throw them all in at once?


i had two 150ish desktops and about as many in a very large ziplog bag. i added each a day or two apart but im not sure that was necessary. my rh didnt move one percent. (they were all at 65 in their previous homes).


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## OratorORourke

tony said:


> i had two 150ish desktops and about as many in a very large ziplog bag. i added each a day or two apart but im not sure that was necessary. my rh didnt move one percent. (they were all at 65 in their previous homes).


Thanks for the feedback again, Tony - our collections/stock is about the same. I haven't actually counted in a while, but if I was to estimate my filled desktops and the 4-5 tupperware containers, I am around 300-350 right now. All of those smokes are sitting between at 65-67% right now as well.

I think I may add the tupperwared cigars first and watch them for 3-6 hours. Then make a decision on where to go from there...


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## Isonj

Hey Chris - 
Thanks for the steps. Mine arrive on Friday. Does it matter if the unit is running during the seasoning period?


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## elricfate

Isonj said:


> Hey Chris -
> Thanks for the steps. Mine arrive on Friday. Does it matter if the unit is running during the seasoning period?


Remember that temperature effects relative humidity. Lower the temp, lower the relative humidity. So if you have it running while you're seasoning you're putting a lot more work on whatever you're using to season it.

If you have it in a relatively climate controlled environment there might not even be much of a reason TO run it.


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## tony

OratorORourke said:


> Thanks for the feedback again, Tony - our collections/stock is about the same. I haven't actually counted in a while, but if I was to estimate my filled desktops and the 4-5 tupperware containers, I am around 300-350 right now. All of those smokes are sitting between at 65-67% right now as well.
> 
> I think I may add the tupperwared cigars first and watch them for 3-6 hours. Then make a decision on where to go from there...


sounds like a great plan. i think you are going to be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to setup and maintain. i think a lot of people (myself included) seem to over think it (not necessarily a bad thing). if i had went simpler like you plan to do i would have saved myself about $30 on the fans and controller.

i just posted a thread with pics and explanation of my setup in this forum


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## OratorORourke

elricfate said:


> Remember that temperature effects relative humidity. Lower the temp, lower the relative humidity. So if you have it running while you're seasoning you're putting a lot more work on whatever you're using to season it.
> 
> If you have it in a relatively climate controlled environment there might not even be much of a reason TO run it.


Yes, what Seth said. From a seasoning perspective, keep it off. But, once you are done seasoning, make sure your unit is can maintain your desired Rh with it running (_if you plan on running it like me_) before you put your sticks in.



tony said:


> sounds like a great plan. i think you are going to be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to setup and maintain. i think a lot of people (myself included) seem to over think it (not necessarily a bad thing). if i had went simpler like you plan to do i would have saved myself about $30 on the fans and controller.
> 
> i just posted a thread with pics and explanation of my setup in this forum


I think that is the great thing about this hobby. Over thinking gives us something to do before smoking or buying our next cigar!

I followed Chris'/Falconmans thread and saw that he actually opted out of using the fan that he purchased. Since I had so much time to kill waiting for my shelves, I tested Rh with it running, not running, etc. at different locations in the unit. I used a ton of empty boxes to try to see if the circulation was good enough. If you use the unit running, it seems you are not going to have more than a 1-2% difference in Rh from top to bottom. That being said, some of the fan setups I have seen look great and at times I thought of running some wires out the drain hole with some cool fans. Then I decided to buy more cigars!

I am going to check your thread out now!


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## tony

if you look at the pic of my bottom drawer, you are dead on. it shows 66% toward the bottom. typically about +/- 1 degree difference from the top.


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## OratorORourke

The shelves have arrived and seasoning has begun!


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## elricfate

OratorORourke said:


> The shelves have arrived and seasoning has begun!


That's beautiful.


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## tony

looking good!


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## OratorORourke

elricfate said:


> That's beautiful.





tony said:


> looking good!


Thanks guys! Humidity already up to 62-63% Rh. Started at 55 less than an hour ago. These little fridges have a great seal!

Each drawer has a little cup of distilled water in it, except the bottom drawer...I have a 69% Boveda pack in that one. Contemplating throwing another Boveda pack in there for good measure!


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## tony

now might be an appropriate time to say it

i told you so  haha j/k


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## OratorORourke

tony said:


> now might be an appropriate time to say it
> 
> i told you so  haha j/k


Might be the first time I really enjoyed hearing that!


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## Isonj

Looks sweet!


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## brimy623

Looks really good! :smoke:


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## jhedrick83

Looking good Chris!


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## Packerjh

wait till you see how purdy it looks with cigars in it!


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## OratorORourke

Isonj said:


> Looks sweet!





brimy623 said:


> Looks really good! :smoke:





jhedrick83 said:


> Looking good Chris!





Packerjh said:


> wait till you see how purdy it looks with cigars in it!


Thanks everyone!

Update: I am really happily surprised on how quickly and steadily the Rh is rising in this sucker with the cups of DW in there! It's already at 68% Rh right now. I am going to let it sit over night and see where it is at in the morning.


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## RayJax

The shelves look great!

Look forward to seeing all of the sticks strategically placed within after the seasoning completes!


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## OratorORourke

RayJax said:


> The shelves look great!
> 
> Look forward to seeing all of the sticks strategically placed within after the seasoning completes!


Thanks Ray!


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## tony

update?


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## OratorORourke

tony said:


> update?





tony said:


> update?


OK Tony, I have to admit when you were right and you were right.

The unit maxed out at 76%-78% Rh during seasoning. It held at this point for at least 6 hours. I turned on the unit at this point, set it at 66 degrees to see how the fan and air would effect the Rh (still with all the DW, etc in there). The Rh dropped down to 72% and then balanced out at 74% Rh. 2 hours later, I decided it was time to remove all the cups of DW and put my beads in there to see if I could get the Rh down to a steady 65% Rh.

9:30am: with the beads inside, I closed door and turned unit on - the hygrometers read 60% Rh at this point
10:00am: 65% Rh 
10:15am: 66% (top) - 67% Rh (bottom half)
10:30am: 67% Rh both top and bottom
11:00am: 67% - 66% top and bottom 
12pm: 66% Rh top and bottom 
1pm: 66% Rh top and bottom

At this point, I wanted to test this sucker out. UPS just delivered 2 new boxes of Joya de Nicaragua. I said, this will be a good test. I unwrapped the boxes, placed them on the top shelf of the unit and closed the door again...

The Rh dropped back down to 61 or so Rh during this time frame. The 2 boxes have been in there for about an hour and 20 minutes or so now. My Rh is at 64% top and 65% bottom. I can't believe it. I have three 1/2 lb bags of HF beads on the bottom and one 1/2lb bag of HF beads on the top. Unit is set at 66 degrees.

I am going to wait until tomorrow to put any more cigars in there. I am going to see how this thing holds with the two boxes in there overnight.

This picture was taken about 35-40mins ago...


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## tony

sounds exactly how my setup went

i wanted it to work without having to plug it in but with temps in south texas in the 100s already it was just too warm in my house during the day. as soon as i plugged it in and got the temp down to 66 humidity locked dead on 65%


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## OratorORourke

Update: Rh held perfectly thru the night. So this morning I added 25-30 loose cigars in addition to the two full boxes that were in there as of yesterday and closed the door with the unit set 65 degrees.

9am: door closed, unit running Rh down to 62-63% Rh
9:30am: Rh at 64%
10:30am: Rh at 64% 
11:15am: Rh at 64% - At this point, I say screw it...I am throwing in my entire stock. This may have been my first *mistake* in this project. The unit was off, with the door open for at least 40mins. 
12pm: Rh at 55%
1pm: Rh at 60%
4:45pm: Rh at 61%

I am surprised by how slow the Rh is climbing back up. I say that, because I had over humidified my stock for weeks prior to this at 68% Rh to prevent the drop and slow climb back up. That being said, I gave each bead bag a few spritzes of DW around 3pm and I have thrown six 69% Boveda packs in there (1 on top and 1 in each drawer). Once the Rh get around where I want it. I will strategically take one Boveda pack out per hour to make sure the Rh doesn't drop and giving the beads time to adjust for each one.

I am a little mad at myself for going against my plan of adding 25 cigars every couple of hours. I got a little excited and I am paying for it now.


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## tony

that wont cause any harm as long as it is short term. mine was fluctuating more than that before i plugged it in and had no long lasting ill effects. remember they survive days in boxes on their way to and from B&Ms, internet sellers, your house, etc


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## OratorORourke

tony said:


> that wont cause any harm as long as it is short term. mine was fluctuating more than that before i plugged it in and had no long lasting ill effects. remember they survive days in boxes on their way to and from B&Ms, internet sellers, your house, etc


Thanks Tony. I think I am more mad at myself for allowing my excitement to get to me and breaking off my plan than I am actually worried about Rh. I can get the Rh back and in all reality, 61% (top) 62% (bottom) for how many sticks I have in there, really isn't bad considering they have been in there for about 5 hours and started at 55% Rh.

With the added help from the Boveda packs, I am sure I will be fine by morning. I would probably be fine even sooner if I turn off the unit, but I rather keep my sticks cool right now as I have so many new purchases in there and I haven't been freezing.


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## tony

i think the only issue was having the door open that long. i purposely did mine over 3 days for that reason alone instead of worrying about any fluctuations from the products themselves. at most mine was open for 10 minutes, probly closer to 5


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## wctaylor89

Your wineador looks great. I really like the look of the shelves and the unit itself


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## OratorORourke

tony said:


> i think the only issue was having the door open that long. i purposely did mine over 3 days for that reason alone instead of worrying about any fluctuations from the products themselves. at most mine was open for 10 minutes, probly closer to 5


Tony, I agree with you. You were far more patient than me :doh: - I just checked it about 10mins ago, slowly climbing. It's up to 62% & 63% Rh. I should be fine in the morning.



wctaylor89 said:


> Your wineador looks great. I really like the look of the shelves and the unit itself


Thank you Will.


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## Yamoks

Nice build and tips on the rh fluctuations as you added sticks. I just got my Newair AW-281E about a week ago.:loco: Will place an order with Forrest one of these days, but for now I have four of the cheaphumidors dot com trays. I covered the fronts with some glossy black 3m di noc carbon fiber vinyl and put some fleur de lis drawer pull knobs on them to go with a Tatuaje theme. I am new here, so can't post pics yet, but I will eventually. I have 2lbs of HF beads. 1 lb in a mesh bag on the bottom and 2 1/2 lb mesh bags on the top. It's currently seasoning as I type.


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## OratorORourke

Yamoks said:


> Nice build and tips on the rh fluctuations as you added sticks. I just got my Newair AW-281E about a week ago.:loco: Will place an order with Forrest one of these days, but for now I have four of the cheaphumidors dot com trays. I covered the fronts with some glossy black 3m di noc carbon fiber vinyl and put some fleur de lis drawer pull knobs on them to go with a Tatuaje theme. I am new here, so can't post pics yet, but I will eventually. I have 2lbs of HF beads. 1 lb in a mesh bag on the bottom and 2 1/2 lb mesh bags on the top. It's currently seasoning as I type.


I would love to see some pics when you have been here long enough to post them. Sounds really slick looking!

I just moved all my beads to the bottom and I am getting better results that way for some reason. I am going to order a couple of those HF tubes for the top soon. I rather have the tubes with the caps on each end just to prevent any DW getting directly on the wood shelf on top. I may be a little anal, but better safe than sorry.


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## Isonj

Chris -
I will start my seasoning tonight. Looking through your updates I should be patient, keep the door open no more than 5 mins and load the sticks in increments. This of course is once everything is stable. Any other lessons learned. Again, thanks for the thorough updates.


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## tony

rather than leave the door open when you load the drawers up. just take them out and fill them, then put them back in. i did this 1 at a time and had great results.


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## Isonj

Thanks Tony


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## OratorORourke

Isonj said:


> Chris -
> I will start my seasoning tonight. Looking through your updates I should be patient, keep the door open no more than 5 mins and load the sticks in increments. This of course is once everything is stable. Any other lessons learned. Again, thanks for the thorough updates.


Jim,

Exciting day brother!

Seasoning, I would do what I did with a cup of DW placed in each drawer, a couple on top and a couple on the bottom. It was incredibly rapid this way. Just leave the unit off while seasoning.

Listen to Tony! I was on track until I got greedy and paid for it! I am finally back at 65% Rh this afternoon after some serious love with a spray bottle and some extra help from 69% Boveda packs. You guys will have to wait for pictures as I am not opening that door for longer than it takes to pick out a cigar until Monday!

On top of what Tony suggested, take your time. You don't need to get in 100 at a time or worse, 300+! Get 25 in, close the door and see how the Rh holds. I got about 65 in within 24 hours with Rh holding and then jumped the gun!


----------



## StogieJim

Chris, great build man! I was on the order page for a koldfront 28, then I read your thread and saw Forrest is a 12 week wait?? I dunno if I want to wait that long...

Might just upgrade to a bigger cooler for now (from 75Qt - 120Qt)

That wineador looks REALLY nice man, I enjoyed reading through this thread!


----------



## OratorORourke

StogieJim said:


> Chris, great build man! I was on the order page for a koldfront 28, then I read your thread and saw Forrest is a 12 week wait?? I dunno if I want to wait that long...
> 
> Might just upgrade to a bigger cooler for now (from 75Qt - 120Qt)
> 
> That wineador looks REALLY nice man, I enjoyed reading through this thread!


Thanks Jim! Yeah Forrest has a 12 week window unless you pony-up an extra $65, then he will ship yours out in 2 weeks. For me it was worth the $65 as I was completely overflowing and needed a solution.

Its been a fun project and was a solid solution to my problem. Let me know what you decide to do, interested either way.


----------



## OratorORourke

6/12 Update: I installed a 3rd Xikar hygrometer (_rectangle_) on Monday and also ordered two Large 65% Rh (BLUE Cap) Heartfelt Humidity Tubes that I am going to put on the top shelf. My Rh has been pretty good, but I did notice after installing the 3rd hygro on the bottom shelf, that I was going to need beads on the top to balance out the unit. I did not want to just lay a bag of beads on the top shelf as the direct moisture after spraying would eventually damage my cedar shelf (_if I didn't want place it in a tuperware container or something_). I didn't want to lose shelf space so the HF Tubes were my solution. They are 4.5 inches tall and only 1" 3/8 in diameter. I am planing to stand them up on the shelf, so I am only losing an 1" 3/8 with each one.

I plan on posting some "final/completion" pictures tomorrow afternoon or Friday at the latest. I hope the bead tubes are here by then, but if not, pictures are coming anyway...


----------



## StogieJim

Chris, good call on the tubes. I need to to order a couple for my cooler, the top seems to be drier than the bottom.

You think tubes would mix well with KL? 

Looking forward to seeing the pics


----------



## OratorORourke

StogieJim said:


> Chris, good call on the tubes. I need to to order a couple for my cooler, the top seems to be drier than the bottom.
> 
> You think tubes would mix well with KL?
> 
> Looking forward to seeing the pics


Thanks Jim.

I am probably the wrong person to give advice on KL as I have personally not used it. Beads, Boveda packs, gel, etc. yes, but not KL. I have used Boveda and beads together and have had success. I assume that, in the right combination, KL and beads could work well together also. The beads may even help keep the kitty litter from rising in Rh in a cooler setting over time as I have heard it tends to do.


----------



## elricfate

I got something like this: Bulk Translucent Plastic Storage Boxes with Clip-Lock Lids at DollarTree.com -- from the dollar store near me... except a little smaller, and with the locking clips on the long side instead of the short side. They also came with rubber gaskets inside.

I took the lid off, took a very small drill bit, and drill a bunch of holes all over the lid, along with one larger hole in the center. I use a syringe to inject distilled water through the larger hole. They hold my KL and keep it from spilling out. I have them in my humidor (because my wineador isn't built yet).

Keep in mind that KL is more often than not set to 70% humidity by its very nature. So while using it is fine, if you add it to something that is set at a lower humidity, they will always be fighting with each other to stabilize to their respective humidities.


----------



## OratorORourke

Picture time...


----------



## brimy623

Really nice collection there Chris!!! :whoo:
Enjoy!!


----------



## OratorORourke

Going to try this again as I managed to break the links to the original photos I posted...


----------



## Isonj

Very nice Chris...looks like you need help enjoying those sticks.


----------



## StogieJim

Damn that is beautiful!


----------



## wctaylor89

Wow, that is awesome.


----------



## OratorORourke

Isonj said:


> Very nice Chris...looks like you need help enjoying those sticks.


Thanks Jim! You're welcome anytime!



StogieJim said:


> Damn that is beautiful!


Thank you Jim!



wctaylor89 said:


> Wow, that is awesome.


Thank you Will!


----------



## brazil stogie

great job, beautiful wineador!!!


----------



## tony

looks great!!!


----------



## OratorORourke

brazil stogie said:


> great job, beautiful wineador!!!


Thanks Ed!



tony said:


> looks great!!!


Thanks Tony and thanks again for all your help and feedback!


----------



## Hubby

Ahhh.... My post count isnt high enough to quote this... But excuse me while I drool over my Laptop!!!!! Nice Winedor and superb collection of sticks!


----------



## OratorORourke

Hubby said:


> Ahhh.... My post count isnt high enough to quote this... But excuse me while I drool over my Laptop!!!!! Nice Winedor and superb collection of sticks!


Ha! Thanks Stefan!


----------



## Harley3381

Chris thanks for the great write up on your experience with your wineador! It will be a big help when it comes time for me to build mine, hopefully in the near future! How do you like having all the drawers and a small space on top for a shelf? I was thinking of three drawers with a larger space for boxes when i decided on something i like a lot.


----------



## ejewell

Harley3381 said:


> Chris thanks for the great write up on your experience with your wineador! It will be a big help when it comes time for me to build mine, hopefully in the near future! How do you like having all the drawers and a small space on top for a shelf? I was thinking of three drawers with a larger space for boxes when i decided on something i like a lot.


I had the same thought as you, Ralph. Three drawers and 3 shelves, or 2 shelves. The good thing about boxes is you can stack them! you could almost get away with just 1 shelf if you stack well. These were my thoughts anyways.

I however went with the 4 drawer 2 shelf same as here, and if I decide I want more box space I can just take a drawer out and apply it to a future wineador if I decide to get a second. That is something to consider as well. 
I'm just waiting for my drawer set to come in now. haha.


----------



## Lifting and Smoking

Awesome cigar collection, thread and wineador! Congrats!


----------



## OratorORourke

Harley3381 said:


> Chris thanks for the great write up on your experience with your wineador! It will be a big help when it comes time for me to build mine, hopefully in the near future! How do you like having all the drawers and a small space on top for a shelf? I was thinking of three drawers with a larger space for boxes when i decided on something i like a lot.


You're quite welcome Ralph. Starting the thread was the best thing for me as I got a lot of great input from others that have done it before me. Plus, it gave me something to do while I sat idle at each stage.

I like using my cigar boxes for decorations or storage of random crap I should probably throw away. Therefore, having more than one shelf was not really a concern for me. I had emailed Forrest prior to ordering and he asked if I typically kept my cigars in the boxes or if I arranged them in my humidors. I have always emptied my boxes immediately upon receipt and Forrest suggested my current configuration. I have 3 full boxes in there now, but 2 are Monsters and the other is an Oliva Serie V Special Sampler...all very thin.

Short answer: I do buy a lot of boxes of my favorites, but I rather store my cigars in the drawers and use the boxes for other purposes. Just a personal preference I guess...

I look forward to following your build in the near future!



ejewell said:


> I had the same thought as you, Ralph. Three drawers and 3 shelves, or 2 shelves. The good thing about boxes is you can stack them! you could almost get away with just 1 shelf if you stack well. These were my thoughts anyways.
> 
> I however went with the 4 drawer 2 shelf same as here, and if I decide I want more box space I can just take a drawer out and apply it to a future wineador if I decide to get a second. That is something to consider as well.
> I'm just waiting for my drawer set to come in now. haha.


To echo Erik, it really is a personal preference. Plus, this hobby is a very slippery slope. I am fairly sure another wineador is in my future and I may decide on a different layout for that one. Right now, the 5 drawers 1 shelf work for my taste.



Lifting and Smoking said:


> Awesome cigar collection, thread and wineador! Congrats!


Thanks Rich! I appreciate the kind words.


----------



## Harley3381

I will most certainly post the build when I get started. I always like to put to much thought into projects before I start which makes everything that much longer of a process!


----------



## elricfate

Harley3381 said:


> I will most certainly post the build when I get started. I always like to put to much thought into projects before I start which makes everything that much longer of a process!


Don't worry, I'm afflicted of the same disease. Sometimes it causes paralysis by analysis.


----------



## Josh23

Looks great, Chris. Would love to have a setup like this. Still trying to find a great starter Humidor since I just started the hobby.


----------



## OratorORourke

Josh23 said:


> Looks great, Chris. Would love to have a setup like this. Still trying to find a great starter Humidor since I just started the hobby.


Thanks Josh! If you are truly enjoying the hobby thus far, I would suggest buying the largest humidor that your budget will allow. This hobby is a very slippery slope and you will be surprised to see how quickly you will outgrow your first humidor.


----------



## .cigardude.

Hiya Chris

The wineador looks great, I'm looking to get the same drawer setup for my Newair. 

How many sticks you think it'll hold more or less?


----------



## joegalvanized

Chris, thanks for the build thread. I am copying just about every part of it. Thanks also for the in depth explanation of the seasoning process. Just waiting on drawers/shelves at this point. Your cigar stash is great, too. It will take a little while longer for me to copy that!


----------



## OratorORourke

.cigardude. said:


> Hiya Chris
> 
> The wineador looks great, I'm looking to get the same drawer setup for my Newair.
> 
> How many sticks you think it'll hold more or less?


Thanks and good luck with your build! I say each shelf holds about 3.5 - 4 boxes of Robusto cigars. If you only smoke robustos, you could really maximize the drawers. My setup, I have around 400 cigars in there (give or take).



joegalvanized said:


> Chris, thanks for the build thread. I am copying just about every part of it. Thanks also for the in depth explanation of the seasoning process. Just waiting on drawers/shelves at this point. Your cigar stash is great, too. It will take a little while longer for me to copy that!


Glad it helped Joe, your most welcome. Thanks for the kind words on the stash. You will be surprised how fast you fill that thing up! I am surprised how much I have acquired since those photos. LOL


----------



## ejewell

OratorORourke said:


> Glad it helped Joe, your most welcome. Thanks for the kind words on the stash. You will be surprised how fast you fill that thing up! I am surprised how much I have acquired since those photos. LOL


Pictures or it didn't happen :smoke:

Yeah I've acquired a lot for my drawer-less Koldfront 28 since I've purchased it. I'm just using double thick corrugated cardboard in mine at the moment as temp shelving. I sure hope once I empty out boxes into the drawers I have enough space! haha. 
-Erik


----------



## .cigardude.

OratorORourke said:


> Thanks and good luck with your build! I say each shelf holds about 3.5 - 4 boxes of Robusto cigars. If you only smoke robustos, you could really maximize the drawers. My setup, I have around 400 cigars in there (give or take).
> 
> Sound good
> 
> Thanks


----------



## OratorORourke

ejewell said:


> Pictures or it didn't happen :smoke:
> 
> Yeah I've acquired a lot for my drawer-less Koldfront 28 since I've purchased it. I'm just using double thick corrugated cardboard in mine at the moment as temp shelving. I sure hope once I empty out boxes into the drawers I have enough space! haha.
> -Erik


Challenge accepted. Have to do some reorganizing anyway. I will post some updated pics soon!

I actually had to move about 20+ cigars into a desktop humi to accommodate my most recent purchases. This hobby is a sickness. They should have meetings for us.


----------



## ejewell

OratorORourke said:


> *Challenge accepted*. Have to do some reorganizing anyway. I will post some updated pics soon!
> 
> I actually had to move about 20+ cigars into a desktop humi to accommodate my most recent purchases. This hobby is a sickness. They should have meetings for us.


I like your mentality! Like I said, I'm really worried my stuff wont fit. lol. just ordered the Ranco temp controller since mine likes to sit around 59 degrees I'll have to put that in to get it around 65 where I want it.

Forgive the crudeness of mine at the moment. lol.


----------



## OratorORourke

ejewell said:


> I like your mentality! Like I said, I'm really worried my stuff wont fit. lol. just ordered the Ranco temp controller since mine likes to sit around 59 degrees I'll have to put that in to get it around 65 where I want it.
> 
> Forgive the crudeness of mine at the moment. lol.


They look so much bigger until you get your shelves and stock in!

The temp is very funky in these things. The temp reading on my unit is about 6-8 degrees cooler than what all 3 hygrometers read. So setting the unit at 62 degrees is really like setting it at 68. Once you realize that, then the fun starts all over again of balancing out the Rh, as the lower you drop the unit temp, the harder your beads need to work or the more DW they need to keep Rh around 65...


----------



## ejewell

OratorORourke said:


> They look so much bigger until you get your shelves and stock in!
> 
> The temp is very funky in these things. The temp reading on my unit is about 6-8 degrees cooler than what all 3 hygrometers read. So setting the unit at 62 degrees is really like setting it at 68. Once you realize that, then the fun starts all over again of balancing out the Rh, as the lower you drop the unit temp, the harder your beads need to work or the more DW they need to keep Rh around 65...


the Koldfronts don't have a digital display. Kind of like it really because I was going to refinish my door in wood. Recent events changed that. lol. But I have alternatives. you can check my thread out if you want. lol. Just updated a little. For now I just left it unplugged though, sitting easy at 65% and ab 71 degrees. not ideal, but it'll do til I get my temp controller. Should have it wired up by the weekend.

Edit: +1 on the 'look bigger than they are' damn they shrink up quick.... so deceiving.


----------



## OratorORourke

ejewell said:


> the Koldfronts don't have a digital display. Kind of like it really because I was going to refinish my door in wood. Recent events changed that. lol. But I have alternatives. you can check my thread out if you want. lol. Just updated a little. For now I just left it unplugged though, sitting easy at 65% and ab 71 degrees. not ideal, but it'll do til I get my temp controller. Should have it wired up by the weekend.
> 
> Edit: +1 on the 'look bigger than they are' damn they shrink up quick.... so deceiving.


I with you on the digital display. Not because I was planning to refinish the door, but because the display is just flat out inaccurate. That being said, refinishing the door sounds amazing. If you ever put that in motion again, I would love to see that!

I am actually going thru your thread now. I cant believe I missed it. My desktop humidors hit 70+ easily during the summer, cant do anything about temp with those, so I wouldn't sweat that right now.


----------



## ejewell

OratorORourke said:


> I with you on the digital display. Not because I was planning to refinish the door, but because the display is just flat out inaccurate. That being said, refinishing the door sounds amazing. If you ever put that in motion again, I would love to see that!
> 
> I am actually going thru your thread now. I cant believe I missed it. My desktop humidors hit 70+ easily during the summer, cant do anything about temp with those, so I wouldn't sweat that right now.


The refinishing alternate idea is at the bottom. I think waxingmoon quoted me on the refinish but I don't remember. the alternative will be significantly cheaper. 
That being said. I just added up how much I've spent (that I can find in receipts) since march. and I'm literally sick to my stomach.


----------



## OratorORourke

ejewell said:


> I just added up how much I've spent (that I can find in receipts) since march. and I'm literally sick to my stomach.


I know that feeling well. I keep an excel sheet now and that still doesn't curb me when I see a great deal (any deal that I can convince myself is a great, unable to pass-up deal). I spent more than my mortgage in June.

I just snagged another box of Liga Undercrowns ($106) and a box of La Duena's Robusto No. 5 ($88.00) off of cigarbid this week. I also bought that King's Ransom Sampler off of Holt's last week. I told myself, I was going to take July off from purchasing cigars.

But, can you blame me? That being said...I DON'T HAVE ROOM! I am moving stock to 150ct desktop humi's again. Soon they will be filled and the snapwares will come back into play and then I will buy another wineador.


----------



## ejewell

I will be moving into a 850sq foot loft condo. So I won't want to expand to another wineador. I'll downsize and recoup funds. Lol.


----------



## OratorORourke

Updated photos...


----------



## elricfate

I feel weirded out by everyone who has these complete boxes of cigars in their wineador. My collection is so random, I almost never buy a full box of something.


----------



## headlessklown

elricfate said:


> I feel weirded out by everyone who has these complete boxes of cigars in their wineador. My collection is so random, I almost never buy a full box of something.


I am the same way. Although I am just starting and think that the more different cigars I smoke, the easier it will be able for me to tell what I like.


----------



## ejewell

This is so pretty. I could cry. Eta on my drawers is Saturday. So watch out! Haha. I don't know that I'll wait on seasoning. Might just throw it all in with a lot of beads and boveda


----------



## Isonj

Chris -

Can you stop by and organize mine for me....haha

Looks real good, esp those lp's


----------



## erosing

These look great, I might have to start looking for one instead of a cooler, temp regulation would be nice.


----------



## lcjimenez02

wow guys everything looks amazing... im new to the wineador deal but here in Miami temperatures can get really high and it looks like i will need one soon. i been looking around on the pets stores and i have not found any KL. Is anyone have any idea where can i find them? Or should i go with beats?


----------



## elricfate

lcjimenez02 said:


> wow guys everything looks amazing... im new to the wineador deal but here in Miami temperatures can get really high and it looks like i will need one soon. i been looking around on the pets stores and i have not found any KL. Is anyone have any idea where can i find them? Or should i go with beats?


Man. I, literally, found KL at PetSmart. And while it works fine in my smaller humidors, because it keeps equilibrium right around 68%, I'm not, repeat, not, going to use it in my Wineador. I'll go with something more high quality like Heartfelt or any other museum quality 65% silica beads.


----------



## lcjimenez02

elricfate said:


> Man. I, literally, found KL at PetSmart. And while it works fine in my smaller humidors, because it keeps equilibrium right around 68%, I'm not, repeat, not, going to use it in my Wineador. I'll go with something more high quality like Heartfelt or any other museum quality 65% silica beads.


i tried PetSmart here in Miami and didn't find anything like what you guys post here, none of that white and blue staff..


----------



## OratorORourke

elricfate said:


> I feel weirded out by everyone who has these complete boxes of cigars in their wineador. My collection is so random, I almost never buy a full box of something.


I still buy a ton of 5pks and 10pks. That is actually the majority of my purchases as I do like variety. That being said, if I can find a box of a cigar that I really like for 1/2-3/4 of the price on one of the auction sites, I will pull the trigger. Boxes at discount prices can save you much more than buying 5 at a time.



headlessklown said:


> I am the same way. Although I am just starting and think that the more different cigars I smoke, the easier it will be able for me to tell what I like.


That's a great thought process. When I starting getting really serious about the hobby (about 5yrs ago) and stopped just smoking one or two brands, I did the sampler route to see what else I would like. Then I started buying 5pks of CA's and other's top 25 cigars. If I love a cigar, I will buy a box at the right price.



ejewell said:


> This is so pretty. I could cry. Eta on my drawers is Saturday. So watch out! Haha. I don't know that I'll wait on seasoning. Might just throw it all in with a lot of beads and boveda


I can't wait to see it. I would advise seasoning. It only took me like 24 hours to season. It is worth it not to have to go crazy dealing with peaks and valleys in Rh.



Isonj said:


> Chris -
> 
> Can you stop by and organize mine for me....haha
> 
> Looks real good, esp those lp's


Throw some food on the grill and share some of your stash and then we can talk! Ha...thanks!



erosing said:


> These look great, I might have to start looking for one instead of a cooler, temp regulation would be nice.


Temp regulation is nice. Plus presentation is nice as well. I also love opening it up and pulling out a drawer and being able to see everything without having to take things out and dig around.


----------



## mrwakeboarder

Spent more in cigars than your mortgage? Must be nice to be single! I would be dropping tons of money each month but my wife keeps that on lockdown. Great looking set up. Maybe when bonus time comes at the end of the year i can get something like this...


----------



## ejewell

mrwakeboarder said:


> Spent more in cigars than your mortgage? Must be nice to be single! I would be dropping tons of money each month but my wife keeps that on lockdown. Great looking set up. Maybe when bonus time comes at the end of the year i can get something like this...


I wish I had a significant other to keep me on lockdown. haha.

the grass is always greener.


----------



## Hubby

OratorORourke said:


> Updated photos...


Once AGAIN.. where is the blasted drool icon.. Even the Wifey started to salivate at your collection and organization!


----------



## OratorORourke

mrwakeboarder said:


> Spent more in cigars than your mortgage? Must be nice to be single! I would be dropping tons of money each month but my wife keeps that on lockdown. Great looking set up. Maybe when bonus time comes at the end of the year i can get something like this...


Thanks. I am separated, so currently floating two homes financially...not nice at all. The month I went completely overboard included both the wine cooler and the shelves from Forrest. Those two purchases definitely blow any budget out the water. I will admit, my spending habits have definitely had the reigns taken off with my budget being out of my wife's clutches.



ejewell said:


> I wish I had a significant other to keep me on lockdown. haha.
> 
> the grass is always greener.


I currently have the worst of both worlds. That's how that saying goes, right?



Hubby said:


> Once AGAIN.. where is the blasted drool icon.. Even the Wifey started to salivate at your collection and organization!


Thanks again Stefan!


----------



## mrwakeboarder

Sorry to hear about the separation. No amount of cigars can substitute for a woman but they can be a good distraction. Super Jealous of your collection. I have the same undercrowns in my humidor based on a recommendation but have not smoked it yet. They a good stick?


----------



## OratorORourke

mrwakeboarder said:


> Sorry to hear about the separation. No amount of cigars can substitute for a woman but they can be a good distraction. Super Jealous of your collection. I have the same undercrowns in my humidor based on a recommendation but have not smoked it yet. They a good stick?


Thanks...we will see how it turns out.

I have 3 boxes of Undercrowns in the wineador because I personally love them. Plus, if you shop around you can get good deals on them as they are far more available than the other Drew Estate offerings in the Liga line...


----------



## JustinThyme

You guys crack me up when I hear the lines about the wifey controlling the budget.
Glad I dont have that problem and Im very married.
We have 3 accounts, hers, mine and ours. The ours account pays the bills and we both contribute. She spends whats in hers as she sees fit and I spend mine as I see fit. We both make decent money so theres none of that crap going on.


----------



## Isonj

JustinThyme said:


> You guys crack me up when I hear the lines about the wifey controlling the budget.
> Glad I dont have that problem and Im very married.
> We have 3 accounts, hers, mine and ours. The ours account pays the bills and we both contribute. She spends whats in hers as she sees fit and I spend mine as I see fit. We both make decent money so theres none of that crap going on.


Rob -

You are only the second guy besides me that I have heard say that is how they handle their finances. The guys at work give me grief and I tell them we never have had a argument over money.


----------



## JustinThyme

Jim, my wife is great! I can honestly say we have never had an argument over anything. The money stays like this and for everything else we can agree that we disagree and respect each others opinions. The guys giving you grief are just jealous because they hand over their paychecks and then beg for money so they can eat lunch. Where I come from we have a saying for that, its called pussy whipped! I went many rounds with my first marriage some years ago. We had a single account that within a few months checks were bouncing left and right because I would go to pay the bills and she decided it was time to add to here 500+ pairs of shoes collection or buy more clothes to fill up other closets because the walk in in the master BR was already jammed with nothing but her stuff, mine was in the spare BR. So we talked about it and she decided she wanted control over the check book etc. so I made weekly deposits and after a few months she starting bitching about how I just wasn't giving her enough and she was always broke. So I told her Ill take the check book and you make a weekly deposit. (much less than the deposits I was making but I was OK with that, at least she worked). Several months go by and one day she beat me to the mail and opened the bank statement to find there was about a $5K surplus and she goes off again so I was like fine, you can have the checkbook back and you pay the bills. The next morning I was at the bank when it opened and transferred the excess to a personal savings account. That afternoon she was very late getting home. I called her office and they told me she didn't come in that day. She shows up at home with bag after bag after bag of clothes and shoes. She blew the entire lot, just under $5k. Little did she know that I had transferred the money and didn't find out until the insufficient funds slips started showing up in the mail. She went through the roof on that one and insisted I put the money back to cover those checks, I told her to piss off and go get a loan. It wasn't much longer after that that I filed for a divorce on several grounds. Habitual intoxication being the one that got her out in 90 days and she proved my case when she got a DUI and arrested for public intoxication before the first hearing.


----------



## odiedog52

Good luck with the NewAir. They are unfortunately of pretty low quality and once the short warranty is up, you're on your own.

They send several units to me and my team to review and for some work we did with them. One of them was dead on arrival .. and it was sent back and the second one did the same. My personal unit went out 2 years after I got it and NewAir won't even respond to me. The unit runs, but doesn't cool.

They're cheap for a reason .. but I wish you the best of luck!


----------



## elricfate

odiedog52 said:


> Good luck with the NewAir. They are unfortunately of pretty low quality and once the short warranty is up, you're on your own.
> 
> They send several units to me and my team to review and for some work we did with them. One of them was dead on arrival .. and it was sent back and the second one did the same. My personal unit went out 2 years after I got it and NewAir won't even respond to me. The unit runs, but doesn't cool.
> 
> They're cheap for a reason .. but I wish you the best of luck!


Yea, but to be fair, thermoelectric coolers aren't difficult to repair. They're not something as complicated as an actual refrigerator with the coolant coils, compressor, and other little bits. It's just a thermistor and a piezo on a heatsink. Not hard to replace and/or fix if there's a short.


----------



## odiedog52

Apparently I'm useless then  I guess I need to look into mine more to fix it (I know nothing of electronics). Mine is a dual section cooler with two doors, the idea being one is used for reds and one for whites. Unfortunately the bigger of the two went out.

In general, I think anything NewAir sells is junk. When it works, it's great. When it goes out and you're out of warranty, good luck.


----------



## JustinThyme

Not much to them, tsat, fan, peltier. 

Unfortunately everything made in China is junk which equates to 90% of consumer goods in the US these days. If there was one made in the US or anywhere but Asia I would buy it. I avoid buying Asian made garbage as much as I possibly can. People want to know why our economy is in the toilet, it has nothing to do with who is in office. Its 100% the american consumer always looking to save a few cents. Do you really think Walmart is taking a hit on the price roll backs? Think again! I could go off on an entirely different tangent on this one but Ill save it for another time but bottom line is I don't shop at Walmart....PERIOD!


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## odiedog52

JustinThyme said:


> Not much to them, tsat, fan, peltier.
> 
> Unfortunately everything made in China is junk which equates to 90% of consumer goods in the US these days. If there was one made in the US or anywhere but Asia I would buy it. I avoid buying Asian made garbage as much as I possibly can. People want to know why our economy is in the toilet, it has nothing to do with who is in office. Its 100% the american consumer always looking to save a few cents. Do you really think Walmart is taking a hit on the price roll backs? Think again! I could go off on an entirely different tangent on this one but Ill save it for another time but bottom line is I don't shop at Walmart....PERIOD!


On that note, Rob, and sorry for the off topicness of this question. I just took the back panel of my NewAir wine cooler and found out that the fan was spinning. It's spinning but not cooling. So that leaves the thermostat and the peliter. What do you think I should look to next?

I have zero knowledge of this, so I appreciate your help!


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## odiedog52

I've actually taken the whole heat sink apart and got the part number for the peltier module, which I found for $6.90 shipped online. So, hopefully I should be able to fix it! The wiring goes from the module all the way into the control board, so I guess that's the one thing I'm unsure how to proceed with. I have zero electrical/wiring experience.

Sorry to take this thread off topic and I look forward to learning more about this type of system for storing cigars!


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## Signal25

I just did this with my Avanti. Real easy to do. Was it a TEC-12706 by chance? When the new one comes in just clip and splice the wires. Red to red black to black. 
I soldered mine but it sounds like you dont have that experience.
Be careful on reassembly. Without getting to technical, the peltiers are delicate and can be crushed easily. Making them in operable.


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## odiedog52

Mine was the TEC1-12705.

Thanks for the tips! I don't have the experience for soldering. Would a crimp or butt connector work?

When you refer to a peltier, are you talking about the small little white module (in your case, the TEC-12706)? It seems pretty sturdy, I wouldn't have guessed it would be delicate. Also good to know!


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## elricfate

odiedog52 said:


> Mine was the TEC1-12705.
> 
> Thanks for the tips! I don't have the experience for soldering. Would a crimp or butt connector work?
> 
> When you refer to a peltier, are you talking about the small little white module (in your case, the TEC-12706)? It seems pretty sturdy, I wouldn't have guessed it would be delicate. Also good to know!


The peltier itself (the little white contained item) is delicate in the sense that if you put a good amount of weight on it you will destroy the cooler/heater inside that allows it to work.

Honestly, you could clip the wire, split it off, and then electrical tape it back together if you didn't have anything but a knife and some electrical tape. Soldering is good since it's more permanent and you could cover it with some shrink tube, etc. It's just all in presentation and non-ghetto-fixes.


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## JustinThyme

odiedog52 said:


> Mine was the TEC1-12705.
> 
> Thanks for the tips! I don't have the experience for soldering. Would a crimp or butt connector work?
> 
> When you refer to a peltier, are you talking about the small little white module (in your case, the TEC-12706)? It seems pretty sturdy, I wouldn't have guessed it would be delicate. Also good to know!


Solder, butt splice, wire nut...its all good. Not a tremendous amount of current going through there.


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## OratorORourke

odiedog52 said:


> Good luck with the NewAir. They are unfortunately of pretty low quality and once the short warranty is up, you're on your own.
> 
> They send several units to me and my team to review and for some work we did with them. One of them was dead on arrival .. and it was sent back and the second one did the same. My personal unit went out 2 years after I got it and NewAir won't even respond to me. The unit runs, but doesn't cool.
> 
> They're cheap for a reason .. but I wish you the best of luck!


Way to rain on my parade Brian!

Good luck with your repairs and I hope to get more than two years out of it based on the customer service you received.


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## odiedog52

OratorORourke said:


> Way to rain on my parade Brian!
> 
> Good luck with your repairs and I hope to get more than two years out of it based on the customer service you received.


haha, sorry!

HOWEVER, it could be an EASY and cheap fix. The main thing that seems to go out on these is that they stop cooling .. which as it turns out is an incredibly simple process.

I've ordered the $6 part and have mine taken apart (took like 20 minutes) and am just waiting to swap it out. I'll let you know how it goes but if it does go out, it will hopefully be easy for you!


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## OratorORourke

odiedog52 said:


> haha, sorry!
> 
> HOWEVER, it could be an EASY and cheap fix. The main thing that seems to go out on these is that they stop cooling .. which as it turns out is an incredibly simple process.
> 
> I've ordered the $6 part and have mine taken apart (took like 20 minutes) and am just waiting to swap it out. I'll let you know how it goes but if it does go out, it will hopefully be easy for you!


Well, I guess that is a silver lining. Please do keep me posted on your progress. Thanks!


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## JustinThyme

Things just aren't made like they used to be. These days if there is an extended warranty that is reasonable I go for it. 20 years ago it was a rarity for something to break prematurely, now its designed into the product! They dont want them to last forever or they cant sell you a new one when the old one breaks. Most folks that buy these coolers would just toss them if they quit. 

Well ran out of room for sticks so had to take the empty boxes that were in the wineador and fill them. About 100 sticks in it at this point. Rh spiked for an hour or two then settled right back in at 66%rh/66F. All the sticks that I put in the boxes came out of humis that have 65% beads in them as well and most had been in there at least a month.

Anxious to get my drawers, just hope they ship on time as promised NLT this Friday.


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## odiedog52

elricfate said:


> The peltier itself (the little white contained item) is delicate in the sense that if you put a good amount of weight on it you will destroy the cooler/heater inside that allows it to work.
> 
> Honestly, you could clip the wire, split it off, and then electrical tape it back together if you didn't have anything but a knife and some electrical tape. Soldering is good since it's more permanent and you could cover it with some shrink tube, etc. It's just all in presentation and non-ghetto-fixes.


sorry to post on here and hijack this thread. I tried to PM you but it said my permissions weren't sufficient.

The part came in today, the white peltier module, and I replaced it. I swear I did it backwards from how I took it apart, but it heated the unit rather than cooled it. Clearly it would sound like I did something backwards but I have no idea what. Any ideas?

edit: just found this on Amazon on a review for the 12705 peltier "Mine worked perfectly. Heads up: The cold side was lettered whereas on my original Peltier element the hot side was lettered. So - Thanks LyricSmith for the warning about the cold side being lettered! Other than that,it was a straight swap out and now the wine cooler works again!"

So maybe if I flip the white module I'll be good. It heated the unit pretty quickly. It got up to 99 degrees in no time lol.


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## Signal25

Yelp. The inherent workings of the peltier. 1 side gets cold, 1 side gets extremely hot. Hence there being a cooling fan on the hot side. The fan on the cold side just circulates the air. 
Google peltier and read some of the scientific data. They can explain it better than me.


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## JustinThyme

Yep, got it in backwards. Your wineador will get hot as the dickens but your room will start to cool. Hope you didnt run it too long like this as the hot side needs more air to pull the heat off so you don't cook it.


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## elricfate

lol. Sorry, I figured you knew how peltiers work. One side gets increasingly cold while the other gets increasingly hot. It's why they're used in water coolers, and why a lot of water coolers have a "hot water" spout, it pulls double duty.


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## odiedog52

lol ... I "knew" how it worked after reading up on it, in that there's a hot side and a cold side. I used the writing on the peltier at the reference for which side goes down but I guess I should have looked at the wires 

On a separate note, my coworker has a NewAir that went out on them (I got like 4 or 5 of these from NewAir for some work I did with them) ... and she's offered to give it to me. So maybe I can play this one too  But in the meantime, I need to fix the heather I've made lol.


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## odiedog52

I'd edit my previous post if I could ... but, looks like I fixed it! Took it back apart and flipped the peltier module over. The only reference I used when doing it originally was the writing on the unit, but I should have looked at the wires.

Woo.


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## odiedog52

Upon second inspection, though it cooled a few degrees, it is not fixed.

I'm pretty sure I crushed the module when I was tightening the heatsink. I tightened one side a bit much and heard a "crunch". Looks like I need to order another one and be a bit more careful


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## Puroprince

I have a Newair 281-E on the way with that being said i want some help from someone who has seasoned a unit like this before.

Unit temp 65?

Heart Beads on bottom and top Peak 65%?

How many times did you wash the unit prior and with what?

Thanks in advance.


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## JustinThyme

Eric there is a lot of info contained in the pages here. 
First thing you will have to do is get rid of the plastic smell on the inside. I washed mine with warm soapy water, then white vinegar 50/50 with water, then baking soda and water. Left it sit for a day then a wipe down with clean distilled water. Then I plugged it in and let it run stuffed full of crumpled up newspaper for a few days changing out the newspaper every day, then just put in a bowl full of baking soda. for a few days and the smell was gone.

You don't really season a wineador, you season what you are putting in it. If using SC drawers, shelves or trays its pretty much the same as seasoning a humidor. the Seasoning process will go faster with the unit unplugged.

Placement of beads is dependent on how its loaded. Pretty much everyone goes with beads in the bottom then some put some beads in every drawer, some go for a mid point, Me I have 1lb in the bottom and two 1/2 pound bags in the top.

I see you are in texas and can tell you right off the top that keeping humidity in these is a difficult task when the ambient air differential is on the high side where the unit runs a lot. Nature of the beast. I have seen several members have issues keeping the humidity levels up with ambient temps in their homes reaching the mid 80s. The unit will maintain temp but it just runs so much that its pulling the moisture out faster than you can get it in. I keep my temp at home in the 75* range and have no issues with the cooler set on 66. Ive been maintaining 66*/65% RH for quite some time with no issues. You will need to block of the drain in some fashion. Some fill it with hot glue, some put electrical tape over the hole and just leave some media to catch the condensate. I left the drain open and taped a stocking with about 2oz of 70% Xikar crystals in the drain catch basin. They somewhat block off the drain and catch the condensate the release it back into the cooler as they are 70% and the beads are 65%. Its been working like a charm, I dont have any condensate running down the back or coming out of the drain in the back.

Some have to set their tsats lower than the desired temp to maintain their desired temp. Some add additional fans to circulate the air and to that some put them on timers and some do not. I built a fan box with a 120mm 75CFM PC fan and power it with a 10VDC adaptor that came off of an old verison wireless router, no timer. I also removed the fan from the TEC and reversed its flow and diverted the wash down the back so it get pulled into my fan box then pushed back up the front and washes up the front of the door then into the drawers. Working perfectly for me.

These are just ideas, part of the fun is messing with it and figuring out what works best for you then sharing it here.
Pics of my build can be seen in the pics of your wineador thread.

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...-pic-your-wineador-thread-29.html#post3890741


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## OratorORourke

Puroprince said:


> I have a Newair 281-E on the way with that being said i want some help from someone who has seasoned a unit like this before.
> 
> Unit temp 65?
> 
> Heart Beads on bottom and top Peak 65%?
> 
> How many times did you wash the unit prior and with what?
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Eric, a lot of your basic info is laid out in the first couple pages of this thread. There are also a few other threads as well that walk thru their steps in washing and getting the smell out. Everyone does there own thing, mine like I said is laid out pretty much step by step early in this thread.

Unit temp is not going to be accurate on the readout. Judge your unit temp by what your hygrometers read. My hygrometers read around 65 degrees, but the unit is set at 60. What temp you keep it is personal preference, but I like mine at 65 degrees. Remember, the colder the unit and the more the cooling runs, the lower your Rh will go.

I use 65% HF beads, top and bottom. I have 2lbs of beads in 1/2lb bags and two 65% HF tubes.

If I have high spikes, I will take out or move a bag of my beads. I also have been known to throw in a couple packs of 65% Boveda packs in problem zones as quick balancing fixes. My unit, tends to have the highest Rh on the bottom. The fan/cooling unit is on the top, every time it turns on it will change things a bit. Keeping 65% on the top shelf is going to be the biggest challenge.

Additionally, every time you open the door you will effect Rh and temp. Temp comes back quickly, Rh more over time. Also, adding sticks from different environments, new orders, etc etc...all effects Rh in the unit.


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## Puroprince

Just showed yesterday let the cleaning begin.


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## Puroprince

If you have a Newair 281E you will notice it has notches coming out where the racks start to enter the sides how does forest build the cabinets around that issue or do those need to come out?


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## JustinThyme

The way Forrest builds them is the bottom of the drawer extends past the sides, perfect width for sliding right in the slots, no worry about the metal rack catch. If you push the drawers in all the way you still have a few inches in the back. I found it works better if you get the fronts even with the front of the cooler with the door open. Gives more room for air circulation in the back. Im eventually going to add stops to the back of the drawers so when pushed in all the way the fronts are even with the front of the cooler instead of recessed in an inch or so.


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## OratorORourke

I had to break my clips off. I have the one shelf and 4 drawer setup.


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## Puroprince

i guess i will just have to wait till the drawers come in to see how mine will work.


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## wittywon

Thanks for a great read. Don't know if a wineador is in my future but the $249 vinotemp at Costco is tempting me.


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## Puroprince

go go .. scratch and dent models!!


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## Puroprince

smell gone started storing while waiting for forrest to finish up the drawers. R/H holding @ 64%
Sorry for low res pics.


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## OratorORourke

wittywon said:


> Thanks for a great read. Don't know if a wineador is in my future but the $249 vinotemp at Costco is tempting me.


My pleasure.



Puroprince said:


> smell gone started storing while waiting for forrest to finish up the drawers. R/H holding @ 64%
> Sorry for low res pics.


Looking good Eric. Just as fair warning, the drawers will need to be seasoned for a few days and you are going to need to relocate that stock during that process.


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## Hiroshiro

Looks Awesome. I love the Acurite Hygros. Got a couple myself in my 280E. Does the 281E do a better Job than the 280? So far I am Very Happy with my 280


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## Hiroshiro

OratorORourke said:


> My pleasure.
> 
> Looking good Eric. Just as fair warning, the drawers will need to be seasoned for a few days and you are going to need to relocate that stock during that process.


What I have done, not so far with Drawers though I would like to have them, but I have a Foot Locker Humidor and whenever my friends or I get a new Desktop Humidor I place the new Humi inside of it while its seasoning. Perhaps maybe a large container or Cooler could help season in case there was no where else to place the Cigars. Just a thought


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## Puroprince

Tribute to Illusione Cigars... just got my tracking # from Forrest cabinets/shelves should arrive Wednesday.


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## OratorORourke

Puroprince said:


> Tribute to Illusione Cigars... just got my tracking # from Forrest cabinets/shelves should arrive Wednesday.


Great!


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## Puroprince

Finally got shelves !!
seasoning day 5










picture is blurry but i wired the blue lights behind the shelves.


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## OratorORourke

Looking good.


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## Harley3381

Chris i finally ordered a newair 280e and I am impatiently waiting its arrival! Since yours has been up and running did you ever need to put any beads in the drawers or has the top and bottom worked out well?


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## OratorORourke

Harley3381 said:


> Chris i finally ordered a newair 280e and I am impatiently waiting its arrival! Since yours has been up and running did you ever need to put any beads in the drawers or has the top and bottom worked out well?


Sorry for the delayed reply Ralph.

I do not put any beads in the drawers. Although, In the winter, I do throw a couple of Boveda packs in each drawer. I assume you may have to do the same depending on the humidity level in your house. I am in NY as well, and in the winter time the humidity in my house drops down to about 22% Rh. Believe it or not, this does effect the wineador.


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## Harley3381

Thanks Chris thats helps out a lot! I thought wine coolers sealed better and would not be affected by our winter times. Now I have a better idea on what to order from heartfelt.


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## elricfate

Harley3381 said:


> Thanks Chris thats helps out a lot! I thought wine coolers sealed better and would not be affected by our winter times. Now I have a better idea on what to order from heartfelt.


Technically they should if you seal up the evaporation trap in the back of the cooler.


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## lukem

Thanks for all the info in this thread. I wound up getting a NewAir CC-280. Just started my own thread on it:

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...wair-cc-280e-400-count-cigar-cooler-came.html


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## FluorideInMyWater

OratorORourke said:


> The shelves have arrived and seasoning has begun!


what does the total price come to if you start with the winedor and buy the shelves rather than just getting the cc-280e? i was looking at the CC-300 that is $350, so i'm wondering about shelving prices. trying to keep the price as low as possible

how do you manage your humidity? i've seen people use bags of cat litter (pic attached).....which i assume lowers the RH but how to you keep it raised.....or does the litter's property keep it around 70?


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## FluorideInMyWater

opps. left out the beads i was talking about...........on the bottom left. does this stabalize the RH or do you have to add other stuff too?


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## WNYTony

FluorideInMyWater said:


> opps. left out the beads i was talking about...........on the bottom left. does this stabalize the RH or do you have to add other stuff too?


Really old thread here so I don't know that the original poster will answer.

You can price out drawers at wineadors.com 
You can get a scratch and dent Newair from Air and Water for a little over $100 at times.
It's not that it's cheaper to do a build but you can do you own configuration and get fancier drawers doing it that way. You want 4 drawers / 2 shelves or 5 drawers 1 shelf or 6 drawers you can do it.
Drawers take a bit to build so you will be waiting for a few months on them.
The bottom drawer covers a space at the bottom that you can store beads or kitty litter to help regulate rh - I use beads. You can install fans to move air if you want and/or use Bovedas.
I did a build thread here but I see the pics are all gone with the Photobucket flop so I'll just say if you have any questions PM me and I'll be happy to help.


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## elricfate

The reason people use kitty litter is that it's silica beads with an RH of around 70%, less if you modify them yourself.


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## FluorideInMyWater

so are their extra electrical conduits inside that allow you to add the fans?
very intersting on the kitty litter.........much less expensive than the oasis electronic humidifier!


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## FluorideInMyWater

i was checking out windedors.com. cool stuff. can someone tell me what a false front drawer is?


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## FluorideInMyWater

how long do you think it will take to smoke them all??? LOL
or are you a "collector"? (like me)


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## elricfate

FluorideInMyWater said:


> so are their extra electrical conduits inside that allow you to add the fans?
> very intersting on the kitty litter.........much less expensive than the oasis electronic humidifier!


No, there's nothing extra in there. Most people either run wiring through the drip port or they use battery powered fans.


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## elricfate

FluorideInMyWater said:


> i was checking out windedors.com. cool stuff. can someone tell me what a false front drawer is?


False front just means it has an extra long front to cover the gap that a regular front drawer will have on the lowest level of the wine cooler.



FluorideInMyWater said:


> how long do you think it will take to smoke them all??? LOL
> or are you a "collector"? (like me)


I smoke and replenish mine regularly, but I usually have around 350 or so cigars at any given time.


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